Rapist who filmed himself having sex with victims is jailed

A Norfolk man who repeatedly raped two young girls in what a judge described as “a catalogue of the most appalling abuse” has been jailed for 16 years and placed on the sex offender’s register for life.

John Williams, 55, raped one of the girls when she was aged 10 to 15 and a second girl when she was 12 to 15 and even made a video film of him having sex with one of the young victims, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Judge Mark Lucraft told Williams that he had taken the childhood away from his two victims in a “most vile and unpleasant way.”

Williams, of St George’s Street, Great Yarmouth, admitted six specimen counts of rape on one girl and four specimen counts of rape on the second victim.

He also admitted making an indecent video and three counts of possessing 142 indecent images of children.

The court heard that Williams was arrested in February, last year, after the victims had the courage to come forward.

Richard Potts, prosecuting, said that Williams at first denied the rapes but later admitted what he had done before the matter came to trial.

Jailing him, Judge Lucraft said he had deep sympathy for Williams’ victims and said that in an impact statement one of the girls had told how she now finds it hard to trust people and said his actions would have a “long lasting effect” on both girls.

“Both of these girls had their childhood taken from them in a most vile and unpleasant way.”

He said that an added degradation was that he had filmed himself having sex with one of the victims.

Judge Lucraft said: “This was a catalogue of the most appalling abuse.”

He also made Williams subject to a sexual offences prevention order under which he must not have unsupervised contact with any female under 16.

Matthew Gowen, for Williams, said that by his guilty pleas he had spared both girls coming to court.

“He expresses his regret and remorse for what happened. He cannot explain how it came about.”

He said that Williams understood what effect his behaviour had on his victims.

“It’s going to be a long period in prison and for a man of his age it’s going to be difficult.”

He said no violence or threats were used and although he had set up a video to film him having sex with one of the victims it was done for his own sexual gratification and he had not shared the images.

“When he comes out of prison he will be much older than he is now and he knows he deserves to be punished for what he did.”